Hopes are dimming that Texas will have much influence in the GOP presidential contest, thanks to redistricting litigation.

Legal fighting over the Congressional map has already pushed back the primary date from March 6 to April 3. Now, U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry Smith has told Texas Republicans that the primary will be held May 29, although that date is not official, the Associated Press reports.

Such a late date vastly undercuts the Lone Star State's relevance in the GOP presidential primary.

But a Bexar County official told the court this week that without a map, it has become logistically impractical to hold the primary in April, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Splitting the primary is also an unlikely option, because of the high cost of holding the presidential and Congressional contests separately.